Ink Stained Hands and Hearts
by rainy-lullaby
Summary: -Starrk/Rangiku!- The old bar Starrk called home for years had brought him peace and now it brings him a second chance at love but not without the past of old lovers, secrets and an man hellbent on getting the girl.
1. Red Dress

**NAME**: Ink Stained Hands and Hearts.

**CHAPTER ONE**: Red Dress.

**PAIRING**: Coyote Starrk x Rangiku Matsumoto.

**DISCLAIMER**: Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

**AN:** I'm really excited for this story. Hope you all like it. Please read and review!

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He never though the scent of newly opened wine bottles and burning cigarettes could ever been so refreshing. Famous writer, Coyote Starrk, stood in the winter cold watching the bar, named "Flower Heaven" that he practically lived in as drunken men and women stumbled out. Starrk had just returned from his book tour in Europe, the press has been great and the fans had been lovely. But the never ending exhaustion hit him hard and all he wanted was to be back at his beloved bar. The attractive man took a deep breath and pushed the wooden door to the bar open. Starrk brushed past small crowds of random strangers in the tavern and his stone river eyes locked with a pack of characters he knows more than family. He caught the eyes of Shunsui Kyoraku and saw the man grin widely.

"The famous Coyote Starrk!" Shunsui exclaimed loudly, his weary grey eyes lit up with a spark of excitement and the slightly buzzed man stumbled to his old friend. Starrk wrapped his strong arms around Shunsui's shoulders and pulled him in tight. Not many men would hug each other because it would seem "unmanly" but Starrk and Shunsui could care less if anyone dared to think the two were unmanly.

"Thought I wasn't gonna see ya' again, Starrky!" Shunsui said as the two let go of each others hold. Starrk took in his friend's appearance, dressed in black, buttons down that exposed his built chest, wavy brown hair tied in a loose ponytail with small pink flowers tucked in, and his famous intoxicated grin plastered on his face.

"You thought wrong, and **don't** call me that." Starrk said with a slight grunt that made Shunsui laugh. Kyoraku wrapped an arm around his friends shoulder and started pulling him towards their group of friends in the bar. Starrk could see faces and smiles his grown to miss over the time he left Karakura Town. He missed being home. Starrk missed sitting in the bar stools that held him high when he was drunk, the late nights with his friends, and the feeling of being welcome no matter where he went. On his book tour, he felt incredibly awkward and tried to find some salvation in the cities he visited.

Starrk caught a glimpse of long white hair, sickly pale skin and a cheery bright smile that only could belong to Ukitake Juushiro. Last time Starrk saw Ukitake was when the pale man was recovering from an episode with his illness and still in the hospital. He couldn't help but feel like a bad friend for leaving while one of his best mates was hospitalized.

"Oh, Starrk! You're back in town?" Ukitake almost jumped out of his seat when he saw Starrk. The sick man pulled him into a tight hug and nearly didn't want to let go. The writer smile and let out a chuckle as Shunsui almost had to pry of the white haired man.

"Come, sit down! Tell us all about the book tour!" Starrk slid in an empty booth with his two friends and began talking of his long awaited press trip of his novel. Shunsui caught one of the waitress's attention and ordered two beers and an herbal tea (for Ukitake, of course).

"It was amazing. The fans were sweet, as always. Visiting through most of Europe was spectacular. _Almost_ perfect." Starrk said, taking a large sip on his cold beer. Shunsui and Ukitake glanced at each other with side grins and returned their gaze at writer before them.

"_Almost_ perfect, Starrk?" Shunsui asked. How could a trip around beautiful Europe and meeting people who adore you be almost perfect?

"Not many good bars." He said with a smile as he jugged his beer, making Shunsui grin happily.

"I knew you would never betray my beautiful tavern! Now excuse me!" Shunsui gave Starrk a sloppy kiss on the cheek and scooted himself out of the booth the three were sitting in, he caught sight of his favorite waitress and Starrk's old friend, Nanao. Starrk watched Shunsui's grey eyes light up with a love laced stare directed at the thin, black haired woman. He noticed how although Nanao acts like she doesn't like the pure affection her boss shows her, her pale face glows with a bright pink that is undeniable.

"Shunsui is still trying to win over Nanao-chan?" Starrk glanced over at Ukitake and saw him nod.

"He never stops, and even if she gives in, he will never stop over showering her with warmth." Ukitake said with a grin as they watched Nanao smack Shunsui's wandering hands with the tray in her hands.

"Nothing changed while I was gone, did it?" Starrk asked, rhetorically, and finished his cold beer. He let out a relaxed sigh and slumped back into the booth sit that his back was used to after intoxicated nights. He hadn't been able to drink a cold one in months and missed that fresh buzz from the somewhat bitter taste.

"Karakura stays the same…but there is one new thing though," Ukitake said, jerking his head to direction Starrk's line of vision. The writer followed the path to see something he hadn't seen a long time.

The first thing Starrk's eyes were attracted to was a long pair of a woman legs. He followed up the curvy of this woman's legs up to round bottom and busty chest concealed by a short red dress. Then his stone gravel colored eyes went to the face of this female and his breath was caught in his throat. Long strawberry blonde hair surrounded a heart shaped face of beauty. This woman had icy blue eyes and pouty red lips with a dot, clearly a beauty mark, right beneath her mouth. Starrk never seen a woman of that caliber in ages, or ever at all! A woman stood a couple tables away from Starrk and Ukitake, serving the table beer bottles and wine glasses.

"That is Matsumoto Rangiku. Newest waitress. Apparently she and Nanao-chan haven been friends for a long time and Nanao got her a job here." Ukitake said, holding in a laugh as he saw drool gather around the corner of Starrk's mouth.

"She's…she's …wow." Were the only words Starrk could say, he felt the wind knocked out of him as he watched Rangiku gracefully sway her way from the bar to the tables she was serving and heard her contagious laughter.

"Yes, Ran-chan is a beauty. After she came to Flower Heaven, more costumers have come in. She has brought back some life into our beloved bar."

"And a hell of a lot of leg, too!" An old man in the booth next to them, eavesdropping on the two, cried out while having a shaking hold on his alcohol. Starrk and Ukitake glanced over at the drunken man and both held in a big laugh.

Rangiku was walking the direction pass them and Starrk felt Ukitake lightly kicking his leg as some sort of motivation. The novelist had no clue what went over him. Usually he was very calm and relaxed around woman. This Rangiku was making him lose his touch.

Starrk took a deep breath and gently slide out of the booth, catching a glimpse of Ukitake's pale grin. He also got sight of Rangiku's sparkly black hell tripped forward and his natural instincts kicked in. Starrk carefully swooped in and caught the falling waitress in his arms, feeling her careless body land perfectly around him. The sound of cracking glasses meant nothing to him as he cautiously held onto the woman. He felt two arms wrapped around his shoulders and looked down to see slightly startled icy blues peering back at him.

"Oh, damn it! I'm so sorry…sir…" Rangiku began apologizing to Starrk but stopped as he lifted her back to her clumsily feet. Starrk reached down to grab the black trap with shards of broken glass on it and handed it to the dazed Rangiku.

"Not a problem, miss." He said, holding in a smirk at her enchanted expression. Starrk was going to introduce himself to the alluring waitress but a pair of hands on his shoulders brought him to a halt.

"Oh, Starrk, still have the ladies falling over you? Haven't lost your touch!" Shunsui giggled with an intoxicated quality over Starrk's shoulder and pointed his eyes towards Rangiku. The strawberry blonde blushed lightly but it quickly faded away.

"Well Starrk, this is our lovely Rangiku. And Ran-chan, this is my dear friend, Coyote Starrk." The bar owner introduced the two. Shunsui saw Rangiku trip and Starrk carefully catch her; he saw the spark between their eyes. A grin spread across his face and felt like playing matchmaker.

"So, _you're_ the famous Coyote Starrk, huh?" Rangiku's naturally playful voice ticked Starrk's eyes and made him almost blush a shade. He awkwardly scratched his head and nodded bashfully.

"Indeed I am. I hope Shunsui hasn't filled your mind with false stories." Starrk said, glancing back at his old friend, knowing how Shunsui has set Starrk on dates and filled the girl with false hopes and exceptions. Rangiku lightly giggled, using a delicate pale hand to cover her mouth.

"I've only heard of childhood tales and your best selling books, so don't worry," Rangiku said while picking up the black tray with glass rubble. "By the way, that photo does you no justice." The strawberry blonde waitress gave Starrk a wink and swayed her legs back to the bar.

The talented writer watched the newest addition to his favorite bar gracefully walk from him and felt Shunsui pull him back into the booth.

"A lovely one, isn't she?" Shunsui said into Starrk's ear, chuckling as the author swatted him away from his ear.

"Please don't play matchmaker on this one, I can get a girl by myself." He said, glancing at Rangiku as she sat herself at the bar and talked to the bartender and seeing her peek over once or twice.

"Yeah, Starrky, keep tellin' yourself that!" Shunsui and Ukitake laughed behind Starrk.

The trio of old friends sat back in the comfy booth and watched the locals and the newcomers in "Flower Heaven". The aroma of whiskey lightly brushed under Starrk's nose, bringing back a nostalgic feeling that warmed his heart. After months of being torn away from his home, all he could ever ask for is time at the bar and even a peer at the beautiful new waitress.

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Well? Read and Review please!


	2. Last Call

CHAPTER TWO: Last Call.

**DISCLAIMER**: Tite Kubo owns Bleach.

**AN**: Please read and review!

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The night began to wear down and the locals started to depart. Bar owners Shunsui, Ukitake and author Starrk were sitting in an old booth, enjoying the increasing silence in the tavern. Shunsui lazily crawled out of his bar seat and called out to everyone left in the bar that it was last call. Starrk could see out of the corner of his eye Rangiku, the newest waitress to Flower Heaven, cleaning the tables and putting away the dirty glasses. His stone river eyes followed after her curvy figure back and forth. The waitress strawberry blonde hair bounced around her delicate pale shoulders, swaying with her natural dancing step. Rangiku's piercing blues could usually wink at him, causing him to stare back at his empty beer glass.

Rangiku walked to the bar and plopped down in a stool, peeling off her high heels. The endless nights of walking back and forth killed her poor feet and ruined her best pumps. A small glass slammed down on the bar counter, catching Rangiku's attention. The waitress glanced up to see the bartender, Kaien Shiba, smirking at her with a shot of sake in his hand.

"Ya look like ya need it, Ran-chan!" Kaien smiled and took a shot of sake himself. Rangiku smiled at the brunette bartender and sipped down on her favorite drink. Kaien had been Rangiku's shoulder to lean on during the hard nights at the bar and usually helped defend her from the drunken old men that got a little more than handsy. The two have been partners in crime since their first night working together.

"So, that's the famous Coyote Starrk, huh?" Kaien said, leaning against the bar counter to get a better view of the famous writer. Rangiku turned her gaze to Starrk as well, biting her lip.

"Apparently. Came back from some famous tour or whatever." Rangiku said, trying to bush off her small fascination for the author. Kaien glanced over to the strawberry blonde before him and notice the small glint in her eyes and the little smile on her pink lips. The spiky haired bar tender grinned widely as Rangiku returned her gaze on her friend.  
"You're a fan of his, aren'tcha?" Kaien's smirk grew larger as the blood seemed to drain from Rangiku's face.

"Well, I mean I've read like one or two of his books…" Rangiku mumbled, concealing her blushing face from her friend while Kaien held in a laugh.

"I had no idea you were a booklover."

"Shut it, Shiba!" Rangiku snapped at Kaien. She turned to her drink that was slowly disappearing down her throat.

"So was that fall intentional?" Kaien asked, slumping against the sink behind the bar as he washed lipstick covered wine glasses. Rangiku shot him a piercing icy glare behind her sake cup.

"I'm not_ that_ desperate for a man." She said, smirking at the small memory of what occurred early that night where Starrk gracefully caught the clumsy waitress in his arms. Rangiku's pouty lips smiled with warmth as she memorize how those stone river eyes that shot right through her.

"Ya know, Ran, I'm not the right one to give advice especially with love, but go for it with this Starrk guy. It's been a year since Gin-"Kaien started off with the best intentions but as that name left his mouth, Rangiku's body struck cold and felt a shot of pain through her.

"I have to finish up for tonight." Rangiku said quickly and faked a smile as she moved quickly away from her bar sit. Kaien let out a huff of gloom as he watched her friend stomp away in her heels.

Rangiku's heart has been a grave state since the man that used to revolve around her universe, Gin, died in a gruesome detail that she hasn't been able to know about for a year since his passing. Her naturally flirtation seemed to seize and of course she mourned as her heart broke. She would visit his grave every day but as time healed her wounds, it would be shortened to a visit once a week. As much as Rangiku would love to dive headfirst into the dating world, but her heartstrings pulled her back fairly. With the new appearance of the novelist, she thought it was the Heavens giving her sign to push herself into dating again or even harmless flirting but Rangiku didn't want to jump into anything hastily.

"What did you say to her?" A sharp feminine voice tore Kaien away from his thoughts and looked across the bar to see waitress and wife of Shunsui, Nanao Kyoraku. Her glasses pointed downward and her sleek black hair was wound up in a bun (Flowers tucked in with the help of Shunsui). Nanao, being the one who got Rangiku the job at her husbands bar, been looking out for her dear friend since she became apart of the Flower Heaven family. Noticing Rangiku's personality do a switch after Gin's death and the men hitting on her constantly in the bar, Nanao took the role as sister for the strawberry blonde and defends her when she can't.

"I brought up Gin's death by accident," Kaien gulped as he noticed Nanao's eyes narrow. "…Sorry."

"Why did you bring it up?" Nanao said, sitting herself at the bar. Kaien huffed and rubbed his scar healed face.

"I was saying that she should take a shot with this Starrk fellow because it's been a year since Gin." He admitted with a pout. Nanao glanced over at the strawberry blonde and the famous writer that Nanao grew up with and smiled abit.

"Although I think you are right and you mean well, she is still healing, Kaien." She said. She patted the bar tenders hand and shrieked as an arm wrapped around her. Nanao looked up, expecting to see her husbands intoxicated grin but met gunmetal grey eyes and whiskey tainted smile.

"Didn't even say 'hello' to me yet, Nanao? Forgot about me already?" He said with a teasing grin that made Nanao slap her old friend's chest. She smiled and wrapped her arms around the novelist.

"I'm glad you're back in town, Coyote. I missed you." Starrk smiled warmly as Nanao patted his sun kissed cheeks like a motherly touch. Shunsui, Ukitake, Nanao and Starrk were a tight knit group while growing up. Those three were Starrk's first and only friends. Nanao was the mother of their small group and kept them all together in the best and worst moments. The black haired woman has been supporting Starrk's writing since she noticed the spark in his stone river eyes in their high school English class.

"I missed you too, Nanao. I'm happy to be back too." Starrk perched himself on a bar stool next to his friend, looking up at the spiky haired bartender smiling a mousy smirk.

"Starrk, this Kaien Shiba, our newest bar tender." Nanao introduced the young man, Kaien sending a childish wave towards Starrk before reaching a hand over and shaking it.

"Nice to meet'cha, sir." Kaien said with a grin.

"Same. Now, both of you fill me in on this Rangiku lady." He said as he leaned in close to the two. Nanao and Kaien exchanged looks of content to each other. If that isn't a sign, who knows what it.

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Last call was over and the only remaining people in the bar, being Starrk, Rangiku, Nanao, Kaien, Ukitake and Shunsui, began to get ready to leave. Starrk hastily removed himself from his bar stool, feeling a slight back pain begin due to time he just spent learning about Rangiku Matsumoto through Nanao and Kaien. He learned briefly what the strawberry blonde was like, her quirks, when her smile crinkles her nose she's cheerful, she'll bite her lip when she's flattered (or possibly thinking something unholy.), her favorite drink was sake, Kaien even mentioned she read some of his books, her guards are up at all times and it extremely hard to break through, and other tiny facts that any other man wouldn't care about but for a writer like Starrk, it meant the world.

"Good nightie night, Starrk~" Shunsui stumbled over to Starrk and laid a sloppy kiss on his cheek making the author cringed at the feeling of wet saliva and smell of beer. Ukitake's long arms wrapped around Starrk's shoulder and he mumbled a 'good night' to his friend. Nanao and Kaien helped the two drunken bar owners out of the bar and into their car. Nanao said her farewells and drove off with two intoxicated passengers. Kaien shook Starrk's hand goodbye and headed north, walking towards his apartment he shared with his wife but didn't leave without giving Rangiku a wink of encouragement that made the waitress growl. That left Starrk and Rangiku alone in front of Flower Heaven.

"Let me walk you home." Starrk said, turning towards the strawberry blonde. Rangiku jerked back with surprise but eased back. Coyote Starrk was a whole new mystery to her. She only knew him from ink written pages she's read but that weren't him. He was a charming fellow, one of handsomest men she ever met, a drinker (big plus in Rangiku's eyes.), and even though she met within a hour, she could tell he was one lazy gentleman.  
"I only need a cab, I'll be fine." She said, not wanting to bother the probably jet lagged man. Starrk shook his head no.

"Can't leave a lady alone in Karakura." He said with a gentle smile. The waitress bit her lip and smiled light as she began walking along the sidewalk near the closest cab stop.

"Fine by me. Very nice of you, escorting a girl home after just meeting her." She said, brushing her shoulder past him a bit to grab his attention from the sidewalk.

"It's the gentlemen thing to do, is it not?" Starrk asked but Rangiku only asked in a smile.

"Enjoying your time back home?" Rangiku trying to get something out of the writer walking next to her.

"Yes, indeed. It's nice to be back and meet some new faces." He said, glancing over at her with a sharp stare that almost made the vixen blush. Comfortable silence dawn up, following after the sounds of cars driving and honking in the late of night in Karakura. Rangiku could see the yellow taxi's close by and pouted, she wanted to walk around in the night some more with Starrk and try to figure out this mystery man. Starrk raised a hand over and the nearest taxi raced over. The chestnut haired man opened the car door for Rangiku and caught her shoulder before she entered the cab.

"Have a safe trip. It's was lovely to meeting you, Matsumoto-san." Starrk said, letting go of his grip of the waitress. Rangiku brushed back blonde locks and behind her ear and Starrk noticed the crinkles her nose made.

"Same. Goodnight, Starrk-kun." Rangiku closed the door and gave directions to the taxi driver. She looked over her shoulder and saw Starrk walking in the other direction. Her attention for the author was pulled away from the light ringing of her cell phone. She glanced at the caller ID, felt the breath get caught in her throat and threw her phone back in her purse.

"Not tonight" Rangiku whispered in to herself in the quite cab.

* * *

The old but fresh familiar scent of Starrk's loft entered his house and him feel so welcomed again. He was greeted by the bellmen and the cozenages at the front desk and they congratulated Starrk on his book tour. As Starrk traveled up a lonely elevator, he flipped through his waited mail he received while he was away. Letters from his mother and sister, Lilynette, from Spain (Starrk laughed at the envelopes that Lilynette sent that were covered in sparkly colors and childish writing.), letters from his manager, junk mail, bills, and other useless mail that meant nothing to him. As Starrk arrived at his loft and turned the knob, entering in his warm home that he missed dearly. He dropped the mail in the nearest basket and flicked on the lights. Dim lights turned the loft and revealed brown, tan and dark maroon colored room that brought on a sense of warmth into his heart. Starrk saw his untouched furniture that still had messy pillows that he would take naps on, his piano with the playing note still on the keys, and blankets left around the room that he would casually leave in the middle of the room after taking naps.

"Damn it, I gotta clean this shit." Starrk mumbled to himself but brushed it off. He started to take off his clothes and enter his large sized bedroom that he called his sanctuary. Starrk left his clothes on his dresser and pulled out a red bottle of alcohol from a small cabinet in his room. He took a small shot of the alcohol and washed down the burning sensation with cold water. The author crawled into his beloved comfy bed and escaped into the universe that lies in his imagination. Flashes of the events that took place earlier this night ran through his head. Returning to Flower Heaven, seeing his friends that meted like family, and meeting a new spark in his life called Rangiku.

The moon light eased Starrk into his much needed sleep and his dreams glided him off into fields of strawberry blonde and whiskey bottles.

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**Please review, love to see what you guys think. XOXO!**


	3. Photographic Bruises

Chapter Three: Photographic Bruises.

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A fuzzy ringing noise lightly blared in Starrk's ears and the grinding of what sounded like coffee beans woke him up. He rose his head over the creamy colored pillows and brushed his slept on brunette hair away from his tired face and attempt to move his body off the exceptionally comfortable bed. His muscles contained under his tan skin rolled out knots made by sleeping and placed his feet on the cold wooden ground. Starrk's mouth opened wide in a noisy yawn and he reached for the closest pair of sweat pants. Drawing his long muscular legs into baggy black clothes, Starrk shuffled his sleep feet out of his room and into his living room of his apartment. The lights were already on and somehow Starrk's living room was tidy and placed in perfect order, something Starrk knew nothing about. The author did not know weather to be relived he didn't have to clean up after himself or frightened that someone came into his home.

"Oh, Good morning, Starrk. Sorry, I let myself in." Shunsui Kyoraku voice entered Starrk's eardrums and he heard his friend's light chuckle as the writer almost jumped out of his skin. Starrk turned to the man in clothes that looked like he rolled out of bed with and little pink flowers tucked behind his tan ear and saw the small key he gave his friend to his condo years ago. Shunsui's hair was pulled up and had, even in the bright morning, open vivid eyes. Starrk's nose twitched at the smell of freshly made coffee being finished and sugar packets that were already open. The writer brushed past his old friend, pressing a hand against his shoulder as he walked by as a way of greeting him, and poured two cups of warm brown colored drinks.

The two grown men sat on Starrk's balcony, after Starrk _finally_ put a shirt on, and drank their coffee in the sparkling Japan sunlight. Pillow like clouds emerged in the baby blue sky and birds that still hadn't migrated soared in the painted winds and sang morning songs to Karakura. Starrk sparked a cigarette and placed it on the corners of his lips, tossing over the pack in the middle of table to offer Shunsui. The flamboyant bar owner shook his head no, saying he was only a whiskey man. The novelist shrugged his cotton covered shoulders and let out huffs of polluted smoke into the crisp fall air that he missed dearly over the past months of his departure.

"Did you get your more than enough hours of sleep?" Shunsui asked, smirking in his red mug as he sipped on black coffee and glancing over at his buddy. Starrk looked Shunsui beneath his ink eyelashes and scoffed, which made Shunsui chuckle in his coffee. The native skinned man tapped his cigarette and let the ashes carry out in the wind as he answered Shunsui.

"Not really. I was in open fields with my bestsellers and enjoying the company of multiple muses till your sorry ass rolled in here." Starrk said in a playful bitter tone as Shunsui threw his head back in a fit of laughter. As long as Shunsui has known Starrk, the writer has been one of the laziest men and had the oddest dreams that border lined into parallel universes. Shunsui pulled a small black and white square out of his jacket pocket and slid it across the balcony table to Starrk. The writer eyed the piece of paper and raised it off the counter top. Starrk could see lines of a face his started to grow familiar of and glared over at the man adjacent to him.

"Stealing photos of Matsumoto-san, eh?" Starrk mumbled into his burning cancer stick. Shunsui rolled his playful coffee eyes and pulled the small photograph over to reveal small, delicate writing that only be written by a woman. Starrk glanced between the writing and his friend, confused on what the meaning he had. Shunsui picked the bridge of his noise with bottle holding fingers and let out a desperate sigh.

"Sweet Mary, you're dense sometimes. That was a card Rangiku left one night when she applying for a job and has all of her necessary information." Shunsui said with a haughty air to it. He glanced over to Starrk, hoping to see a face of recognition, but saw Starrk only staring deeply at the photo. The bar tender rubbed his hands over his face in frustration, his best friend is a very intelligent man but some moments, it amazed Shunsui how Starrk got through school.

Starrk held the small black and white photo of Rangiku between his fingers and let his thoughts run wild in his imagination of the strawberry blonde. He thought of all the ways this woman could profoundly change his small, boring world and shed some new inspirationally let on him.

Starrk stumbled across woman many times, beautiful to unsightly, and gregarious to flat lines. His had flings, month long relationships and some that almost made it to the year mark. But most of the females in life mainly wanted to become muses to him and eventually wanted a dedication, a chapter or even a line in one his novels. Starrk's never really in for the long run or intended to give any of these false lovers satisfaction in any way that wasn't for the public to view (or sexual for that manner). Only a handful of those women served as a muse for a one minor character in his novels, mainly female characters that only supplied annoyance and comic relief in the stories without their knowledge. But don't get him wrong, Starrk loved women. All women from different walks of life and passions made him appreciate the feminine way more and helped create some of his best leading ladies. Only small handful of women gave Starrk a spiritually and romantic guidance in his writings but, obviously, they didn't stay. Starrk never broke it off with any of the lovely or the vapid women he has been with. Most females realized how exceedingly lazy he is and how that will never changed, while others found love somewhere else and left Starrk with no proper warning. One time, poor Starrk caught one of his girlfriends (_he hated that word with a passion_) with someone from his publishing team on a coffee date. Needless to say, the lazy writer didn't hesitate to fire that man the second the cheater touched his lips.

Starrk was pulled away from his running thoughts of his romantic past by a loud faked cough by the flamboyant man across from him. The native skinned author looked up to Shunsui and tried to fight off a blush of embarrassment.

"Should I leave you and the photo alone?" Shunsui asked playing with his coffee mug and giggled as Starrk shot him a glare. The writer tucked the photograph in the pocket of his shirt and flicked his burnt cigarette over the ledge of his balcony. Starrk curled in his sit and let out a loud yawn that probably could be heard throughout a couple floors of the building. Shunsui took his friends excessively loud yawns as a signal to take his leave.

"Well, I believe I should get going. My lil' Nanao is probably wondering where I am. Oh my, last night I couldn't keep my hands-"Shunsui began to drift off to his memories of last nights drunken, sexual activities that took place with his wife but Starrk, wanting to keep his image of Nanao pure, cut him immediately.

"Please, Shunsui, _do not_ tell me about your sex last night." Starrk said with no possibly emotions expect for repulsion. Shunsui pouted and his coffee eyes pleaded to Starrk to tell his sexual adventures with his beloved wife.

"Oh Come'on! We've talked about this stuff before. Lil' Nanao was so-"

"I will see you tonight, Shunsui." Starrk grabbed the shoulder of Shunsui's bright pink cardigan and began pushing him. The bar owner's black leather shoes clapped against the wooden floor as he struggled to regain posture as Starrk push him out of his condo door. The bar owner turned to protest against Starrk but the door slammed before him. Shunsui's lips pouted and stalked off in the building, back to the elevator of which he came.

Starrk locked the door carefully and proceeded onwards in his condo. Starrk grabbed his mail basket a pulled out two envelopes that were delicately colored with childish flare. One from his mother, and the other from his little sister, Lilynette, both from their home in Barcelona, Spain.

The writer kept close ties with his remaining family and wrote and called to them as much as he could. While on his book tour, he wasn't able to call his beloved family due to his manager, Byakuya Kuchiki, who kept him on a tight knit plan through out Europe. However, when Byakuya would fall asleep on the plane or train, Starrk would write short written letters to his mother and sister and send them immediately afterwards.

Starrk walked through his warm colored living and stepped in his large and surprisingly clean study. He flicked the lights on and revealed a sturdy old fashion black desk that has his typewriter and multiple folders of his writings placed on it. All around the room were shelves of books that Starrk has taken inspiration from and his own with magazines and newspaper clippings tucked in as well. A wall had pieces of art he collected over the years from begging artists and devoted fans. Along with the art were photos of his family in Spain and Japan along with photos of Shunsui, Ukitake and Nanao.

The writer slipped in a large chair with cushions and pillows hugging his frame. Starrk got comfy in the chair his written all his novels and pulled out the photo of Rangiku that was tucked in his shirt pocket. The waitress distinctive light shined through the black and white as it captured her in mid-laugh and winking. The author sighed and pulled a drawer out of his desk and slipped the photo in a perfect secret spot.

"I will save that for later." He said to himself as he brought his attention back to the envelopes.

His fingers pulled the first letter, Lilynette's, and pulled out the purple colored paper with sparkly black ink. Small drawings of wolves, desserts and a cartoon version of Starrk covered the side panels of the pages. He noticed his little sister's clumsy writing started to turn to carefully clean lines, with his teaching of course. Starrk's gunmetal eyes traveled along the pages, his warm lips twitching into a grin and his heart felt released of all troubles when he imagined Lilynette's voice narrating the letter. After placing the colorful paper down, he reached for the red colored phone and dialed in a foreign number.

Buzzing noise entered his ear, making him anticipate more. A soft click went through the line and loud childish voice broke through.

*"_Hola_?" A light accented voice spoke and Starrk felt his smile extended wider.

*"Hola hermanita, cómo está?" Starrk's husky voice rolled back into his native tongue. He heard his sister squeal in delight through the phone and almost dropped the phone.

*"_Hermano! __Yo__he echado de menos!"_ Lilynette, all the way in Spain, soft voice spoke her Spanish that made Starrk feel at home.

*"Yo también te extraño." Starrk said back to her, leaning in his cushion chair and listened to his beloved little sister speak to him rapidly.

* * *

Sunshine peered in the open windows of the apartment bedroom as Rangiku sat curled in front of her vanity, brushing through her wet strawberry blonde locks. Tea was boiling in the next room and fresh jazz sounds echoed throughout her apartment. Rangiku looked in the mirror before her, watching herself brush her wavy hair. A frown was displayed on the extremely gorgeous woman's face. She could hear knocking at her door and as every knock hit the wood, she felt her heart race and leap. Rangiku knew exactly who was at her door step but couldn't find the strength to answer it.

Rangiku huffed and tightened her bathrobe around her slim waist. She removed herself from her vanity and walked to her small living room. The waitress stood on her tip toes to look in the small circular window through the door. There stood a man waiting impatiently and Rangiku felt her heart sink to her stomach.

_Aizen Sousuke._

Aizen Sousake was Gin's, Rangiku's decreased lover, best friend. The two were inseparably and seemed to be attached by the hip. Rangiku met the two when they were all teenagers together. Aizen and Gin both were attracted to the young Rangiku but Gin truly pulled her heart strings towards him. Aizen knew showed it but he was very jealous of his silver haired friend but brushed it off as the three grew older. When Gin died last year of unknown circumstances, to Rangiku, Aizen was there to comfort her but something was different about him as Rangiku noticed. His usually calm behavior turned possessive and almost angry. Whenever Rangiku would ask about his rapid chance, Aizen would answer that he was only looking out for her. But Rangiku soon leaned his overprotective attitude was _far more_ than she expected.

Rangiku took a deep breath, preparing herself. She unlatched the door and peeked out, seeing Aizen leaning against the wall next to the door. All she could see was the permanent smug look on his face that she fought the urge to smack off. Aizen noticed the woman peeking out and grinned at her.

"Good morning, Rangiku-san. Did I come at a wrong time?" His voice entered Rangiku's ears and made her cringe before belief.

"Yea, kind of. Listen, we can talk another time. I'm sort of busy-"Rangiku was stopped when Aizen's foot was placed between the door frame and the entrance. The strawberry blonde felt her fingers twitch with fear and held onto the door tighter.

"It will only take a second…" Aizen let himself in and stood in the middle of Rangiku's living room. His coffee brown eyes followed up and down Rangiku's robe covered body, examining each rolling bit of water. Rangiku tried to relax and brush off any fright left in her. She put of her face of confidence and turned to the man that boiled her blood.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" She asked, feeling degraded as Aizen looked at her with a stare less than respectful. He snapped back to attention and looked back at her face.

"Right, is the any particularly reason you didn't ask me last night?" He asked. His usual soft voice turned into a husky one, dripping with verbal poison that infected Rangiku. She gulped with fear and searched in the corners of her memory what she was doing last night. _Starrk._

Of course, the writer she met last night, Coyote Starrk, walked her to a cab. Rangiku fought back a smile at the memory of the author's gentlemen attitude and kindness last night. She couldn't tell Aizen she met someone last night. Aizen wasn't too fond of any Rangiku's encounters with men.

"Well, I was working last night so I must of missed it." The strawberry blonde lied through her teeth and tried to pass it off as the truth to Aizen.

He didn't look convinced at all and creased his eyebrows. Aizen took long steps towards Rangiku until her back was against the door wall. Rangiku curled against the door, trying to get away from Aizen but it failed miserably. He placed both hands on the either side of her beautiful face and leaned in close. The waitress tried to recoil away but nothing aided.

"You should know, my dear, I don't like being lied too. Remember the last time you lied?" He asked her, removing one of her hands and used to pull away a flap to her robe. Rangiku gasped and tried to shield herself but all he did was reveal a still recovering purple bruise that was high on her pale thigh. Rangiku stared down at the bruise and the memory came back at her like a ton of bricks.

"When you feel like telling the truth, I'll be by the phone." Aizen said, removing his hand and cupping Rangiku's delicate chin with it. "You're such a remarkable beauty, Rangiku-san, but it's a pity you lie to me." He let her go and walked out the door. Rangiku felt a tremor through her fragile body and sunk to the floor against her door. Tears rolled out her icy blues and she buried her face into her robe. The blond let her sadness and fright pour out of her for some minutes.

After what felt like hours, Rangiku pulled herself off the floor and walked back to her room to paint of a happy face for the rest of the day.

* * *

Night fell on Karakura Town and lonely drunks found themselves in the stools of Flower Heaven. Nanao and Shunsui walked by the busy pairing, waiting for a certain someone to clock in already. The ring above rang and the couple turned, expecting a strawberry blonde but got their friend, Starrk, walking through the doors. The writer had steps of happiness as he walked up to bar, greeting his old friends. He took a seat and signaled for a drink to Kaien.

"Anyone you guys waiting for?" Starrk asked as he took a sip of ice cold beer. His stone eyes searched about the bar, hoping to find his new favorite waitress running around the bar but couldn't seek her.

"Rangiku-san. She's late tonight which is very unusual. She's always early. What are we gonna' do with her?" Shunsui said with a pout and dramatically leaned against Starrk's shoulder. The tan author patted his friend's head in comfort but even he was curious where the blonde bombshell was.

The ring above the tavern door rang again and Rangiku did enter but an arm was locked around her wrist, escorting her in. Starrk took notice to the tall, brown haired man. He got the feeling of cockiness and self assurance from the man and didn't take to kindly to the way he was holding Rangiku. Starrk's grey eyes locked with Rangiku's orbs and saw an almost plead for help. He felt his heart and conscience rattles and took steps towards the two.

The brown haired man looked up to Starrk and burn holes into the author with his stare and tightened his grip on Rangiku. Starrk could almost laugh at this man's possessive ways.

"_Oh, this will be fun."_ Starrk said to himself.

* * *

*Hola- Hello in Spanish

*Hola hermanita, cómo está?- Hello little sister, how are you?

*_ Hermano! __Yo__he echado de menos!"_- Brother, I've missed you.

* Yo también te extraño.- I've missed you too.


	4. On The Edge

**Chapter Four: On The Edge**

_AN: I'm so sorry I'm late with updates but summer is coming soon, so hopefully I'll update more!_

_**Also**__, to those who favorite or put this story on alert, please review! I want to know what everyone this!_

* * *

Possessive men have always been a major turn of for Rangiku. Some women loved when their men let jealously over take them like a monster but Rangiku found it to be a pathetic display of affection. Rangiku wanted a man that was secure enough that he didn't have to worry about the other man staring her down. The men that would tightly wrap their arms around her waist, travel their hands down her curves and attempt to pull her in for a kiss were trying to prove something to the other men _(or women_) glancing at the strawberry blonde. Men were interesting creatures to Rangiku. The dynamics of their brain confused her and urged her to find out more. Whenever she was with a controlling man, she would _sometimes_ purposely insist on the man's insecurities whenever in the privacy of her home or out on the town, just for thrills. Seeing the flame of jealously in their eyes excited her and after her joys were satisfied, the relationship burnt out quickly. Although Rangiku did like to mess with the weaker dates she's been on, she wasn't a player. She's felt her heart being pulled by puppet strings to many times before to lead on this hope filled men. She thought of herself as a grown woman who could defend herself without the aid of her date trying to establish something to the rest of the club or bar and felt it was necessary to weed out the frail men.

Gin was _never_ possessive. He never laid a hand on Rangiku unless it was wanted. Despite his bully attitude during their school years. Gin was a gentle man with boundless love to offer. When Rangiku finally gave into her desires for Gin, she thought he wouldn't change and wanted sex majority of the time. But she was far from the truth. Gin knew he had the best in Japan, possibly the world, and didn't feel obligated to show her off like a prize. The controlling aspects of their eternal love only came into play within the walls of their bedrooms in the dark of the night but even then, Gin was a complete gentleman to Rangiku's delicate form. Gin was the most interesting man to the strawberry blonde. He sometimes had a Napoleon complex during high school and carried around an attitude along with him. He sometimes was a bully but then on the good days, he would a defender against the much rougher bullies. Both those sides captured Rangiku and kept the blonde in the quicksands of Gin's temptation. Rangiku loved that man with every fiber of her soul which he would tear apart from her and rebuild every moment of their relationship.

After Gin's death, Rangiku never she would ever find a man like that again. Never will someone fill that small aching hole in the big heart of hers. Men had come and gone, beckoning for something more but that lead the demise of any possibilities they had. Then Aizen came along, trying to pick up the pieces for Rangiku but that plan eventually headed south with his hostility and possessiveness.

Now, being pulled back from her running thoughts, Rangiku stood in the cross hairs of Aizen and Starrk in Flower Heaven. Aizen's tight grab on her wrist twitched as Starrk approached the two. The stone river eyes that belonged to the handsome writer stayed directed on Rangiku's face, studying the contours and curves of fear that was expressed on her face. The blonde woman fought hard to pull Aizen's hold off her and luckily they did as Starrk got closer. The brown haired man shot her a toxic glare that installed terror into her like no other could. Rangiku turned around and felt gentle hands stop her. Her face bumped into a hard, steady chest and jerked her head back. She felt profanity ready to spur out of her mouth as she glanced up at the man would knocked into her but stop when Starrk's unforgettable face was before her.

"Sorry about that, Matsumoto-san. Didn't mean to do that." Starrk said, covering his hand over the fingers placed on her face in reaction to their small collusion. Rangiku noticed the warmth Starrk's fingers had and unwilling curled her hands around the digits.

"It's fine, Starrk-kun. I'm just a ditzy blonde." Rangiku said, brushing her strawberry blonde locks away from her face to get a better look at the writer. A pearly white smile was shown to her and a gentle laugh was brought onto her ears.

"I have to disagree with you. You're a very graceful ditz," Starrk said while pulling some blonde strands that drifted above her face. A small smirk of satisfaction was brought upon Starrk's face when he noticed a small pink light spreading over Rangiku's pale cheeks.

Starrk didn't seem possessive. He seemed like the kind of man that profoundly loves his woman but doesn't feel the need to show her off in public display. He probably wrote many poetic words that describe each affair, good or bad, in a beautiful manner that touched numerous hearts through his books. Rangiku barely knew the man personally. She only knew his inked words that told stories that made her think and act out of character sometimes. Through some of the male protagonists in Starrk's stories, who all eerily reminded her of the writer, no possessive trait was found.

A loud grunt was heard behind her back, being thrown out from her day dreams once again., and she turned to see Aizen standing in the tavern with a disapproving look of his face. Rangiku released her hands off of the writer and began to make her way towards the bar while excusing herself from Starrk. Starrk's grey orbs followed after the blonde with a flabbergasted look of his sun kissed face.

"Do you know Rangiku-san?" A soft masculine voice spoke behind him; Starrk turned around and faced the man Rangiku walked in with. Starrk mentally took down every detail of this man. The man before him, Aizen, was in a dark grey colored suit and had his dark brown hair slicked back. Deep chocolate colored eyes peered deep at Starrk, studying him as well. Black rimmed glasses hung from the grey pocket in the man's breast pocket. Tight black Oxford shoes covered his feet as he stood proud in bar, looking down at everyone that was slumped in the stools with whiskey in their hands. _Definitely an Antagonist in the story. _Starrk thought to himself as he examined the man facing him_._

"Only a little. Just met her, very charming lady." Starrk said, trailing his eyes away from the pompous man to the blonde waitress, running around the bar in high black heels and a tight dress. Aizen watched this man's reaction to Rangiku and had a displeased look of his face. Rangiku was _his_ possession and his _only_.

Aizen observed the native skinned man in front of him. He was a handsome man indeed but Aizen clearly saw himself as a better man. The man had sun kissed skin from another world and wavy brown locks of foreign traits. Whoever he was, he is definitely not a Japanese man. The man stood in the dim lights of Flower Heaven with dark colored jeans covering long limbs with a pack of cigarettes popping out from the front pocket. A white cotton shirt sealed his chest but a few top buttons were open for display, screening a vision of tanned and scarred skin. A dark navy pea coat and grey colored scarf hung over him, portraying an relaxed image of this man. Aizen noted he had more class then the other scum in this bar but still scum.

"And who might you be?" Aizen said, the toxic venom entering in his tone of voice once again and took a step closer to Starrk. Aizen puffed his board chest out, wanting to show to Starrk he was more power and that Starrk was below him.

Starrk let a handsome grin appear of his face and stuck out his hand.

"Coyote Starrk. Pleasure to meet you," Aizen didn't budge to reach for the author's hand. Starrk felt the sense of superiority come off this man and gently pulled his hand back to his side, ignoring the disrespect he was just shown by this stranger.

"Oh, the pleasure is all mine," Aizen said with a crocked grin with sarcasm rolling off his tongue, "I'm Aizen Sousake." As the name left Aizen's lips, a bell rang off in Starrk's mind and he was reminded of something but he couldn't place his finger on it. Starrk brushed the tiny nostalgia feelings off, thinking he must of heard tons of Japanese names and one of them had to be Aizen along the way.

Rangiku's blonde locks came into vision for both of the men and Aizen quickly turned to find his possession. The waitress was walking by them, swaying in the glitters of her tight black dress, with a tray ready for orders of alcohol. Aizen turned his back suddenly to Starrk and called out to Rangiku in a demanding tone. She abruptly stopped in her direct path and walked to Aizen, like a puppy being yanked on it's leash. Starrk saw the glimmers of fear dull out the sparkle of her blue eyes and her upright posture contoured into a shape of scared child. He couldn't stop himself from listening to the bits of their conversation as it unfolded.

* * *

Rangiku was behind the bar, getting herself ready for the long night shift ahead. She arrived tonight on the tight arm of Aizen despite how much she resisted to him taking her to Flower Heaven. No matter how hard she tried to liberate herself from his grip, he just pulled harder. She wasn't attracted to Aizen or felt any relationship between them anymore. Rangiku was truly scared if she told to anyone the abuse she's dealt with from Aizen's bare hands that he could let loose wrath upon her like never before. The cruel man was in his own delusional world where Rangiku is supposedly his piece of property and seemed to ignore that Rangiku was still had wound heart from the death of his best friend. That was another reason Rangiku couldn't turn Aizen in. She couldn't live with herself if she sent her past lover's closest friend off to jail.

As Rangiku placed her coat and belongings behind the bar, her body still felt warmth that came off Starrk's touch that slipped through the fabric of her jacket and sunk into her skin. The writer had such a warm feel to him and for the past nights Rangiku has seen him, he was nothing but a gentlemen with a whiskey in hand. The strawberry blonde ran her fingers over her arms, as if she was trying to brush off his touch from the memory of her skin. She looked up from the bar and saw the man that belittled her talking with the man that made her feel like lady in the middle of the pub.

Rangiku saw Starrk extended his gentle hand and look of utter disgust on Aizen's face.

She scoffed at his arrogance. From when they were teenagers, Aizen always seemed to think he was beyond every person he came into contact with.

She took a deep breath and walked out of the back of the bar counter with a tray in her hands and a fake, plastered smile of her face. As she strolled her way through the local drunks and messy table tops, she heard her name being called out by a smooth, coy voice. Rangiku turned around and saw Aizen waiting for her in front of a dazed Starrk. Rangiku, not wanting any more trouble, quietly approached the brown haired man and asked him what he wanted. He gently placed his hands over her exposed arms, portraying a soft image to any onlookers in the bar.

"I'd prefer if you didn't talk to any men tonight, dear." He said, rubbing his hands over Rangiku's soft pale skin and roaming them down the steams of her waist but a hard slap made his hands stop in motion. Aizen pulled back his hand and looked up with a shocked expression at the peach blonde.

That demand pushed the waitress over the edge and reached the point of no return.

"What the hell does that mean? You don't me to do my job, is that it?" She asked with fury of a saint in her eyes. Rangiku bit her tongue and held back all her anger that could have been pointed at Aizen all this time but being ordered around like a dog was something she was not fond of.

"I don't approve of you working here of all places, but you seem to like it here. All I'm saying is to be careful with the scum that crawl around –"

"_Scum_! You think these people here are _scum_? These people are my family, for God sakes! The only scum in here is you, Sousake!" Rangiku cut him off and spat her venom in his face. The only thing Aizen did was stand in the bar, jarred that the woman his thrown around for the past year finally cracked. Aizen grabbed a hold on Rangiku's arm and pulled her tight was she scrambled to fight back. He brought his mouth against her delicate ear and whispered hate into it.

"I wouldn't use that tone of voice if I was you, Rangiku. You know I don't like being talk to like that…" Aizen whispered through strawberry blonde hair into her ear. She wiggled against his grasp and spat profanity at Aizen but a hand broke between the two and shoved up Aizen's chest. The bickering duos stopped when they looked to see Starrk caught between them. His tan hand was pressed against Aizen's torso and the other was placed on Rangiku's shoulder, pushing her away from the dark haired man.

"I apologize, Matsumoto-san, but you two are sort of making a scene," Starrk whispered, observing the small groups staring at the couple. "It's not of my business what is going on, but I think it's better if you leave, Aizen-kun." Starrk said, lightly pushing the blonde waitress behind him for safety and to conceal her raging fury. Aizen felt his wrath that built up inside simmer down as the author butted into the heated argument. His fiery brown eyes tried to stare down Starrk's gunmetal grey orbs and eventually moved them to Rangiku, seeing the scowl printed on her face. Aizen let out a sigh and a tiny chuckle that confused Starrk and Rangiku.

"I'm sorry for the scene. I'll take my leave now. Rangiku-san, I'll see you tomorrow." Aizen said, turning on his heels and walking out of Flower Heaven before Rangiku could bite back. As the grey suit form left the door frame in a flash, the writer turned to Rangiku. Her anger calmed down and the red spread of rage on her pale face brushed off. Before, Rangiku's curvy shape shook in a panic but now it was relaxed and fixed into a straight posture.

Starrk kept his hand on Rangiku's creamy white shoulder and squeezed it gently to regain her attention. She moved her gaze from her heels back up to the man before her and gave him a look that almost broke his heart. For a moment, her baby blue eyes lost their twinkle and her full pink lips turned into a frown but after noticing Starrk's full attention, Rangiku pulled a smile and began to tug herself away.

"I have to get back to work." She said, walking away from the perplexed writer with a drink tray tightly held in her arms, concealing herself away from everyone in Flower Heaven. Starrk stood in the tavern, not knowing what he just witnessed or heard, letting faceless drunks brushed past him as they stumbled around.

The only Starrk knew, he thought to himself as he sited himself back at the bar stool, that he defiantly needed a brandy on the rocks.

* * *

**Ending note:**

Some drama! Not my best chapter but more soon! A poll will be posted on my page after this chapter is up for vote! Review please!


	5. The Loneliness

Chapter Five: The Loneliness

*****I **would like to remind everyone that this story is still in winter time!***

. Also, I will put up a new poll of which character should be introduced, just a minor one! .

* * *

Old wood and fresh incense burned in Rangiku's nostrils as she rushed into the empty bathroom in the bar she worked at, Flower Heaven. A blinking red light swayed in the lonely stall as it made Rangiku's hot tears glimmer as the lines of salty water rolled down her face. The peach-blonde woman felt a wave of emotions as the confrontation between herself and Aizen unfolded. The nerve of that man! He thought he could drag her into her bar and almost flaunt her around like he owned each piece of her. Aizen tired to spin her into his own woman to fit his own needs and desires but Rangiku wouldn't and won't conform to anyone attempting to change her. Sure, she had her flaws. She was by no means a saint. But those undeniable flaws shaped her into the woman she was today and not ready to be fashioned to someone's whim.

Rangiku brushed her warm tears from her face and pressed her back against a wall in the lonesome bathroom. She slumped to the floor and pulled her long legs in tight. She let her glittery black heels fall from her feet and kicked them away from her. The hems of her tight black dress rolled up her thighs, revealing bruises that were either freshly pressed or still in the stages of healing. Rangiku cringed as the more circular purple colored marks were being exposed. She got those from different occasions. She earned them from Aizen as a reminder of her "_disobedience_" and her foul mouth. Rangiku pulled on her dress, wanting all the marks and reminders to just disappear. Whenever she would let Aizen's power over take her pride, Gin's voice entered her thoughts and his fox like smile flooded her eyes.

Rangiku can imagine Gin sitting in a bar stool, laughing and shaking his head at the blonde.

He would be drinking whiskey and saying how much he was disappointed in Rangiku or "Rany" as he called her. Gin would say to the blonde about how much he was surprised she didn't put up a fight against Aizen. He would be telling stories of when big men would try to pinch the round bottom that belonged to Rangiku and how she vomited profanity and threats to them, using her powerful voice to knock the men down.

"_Rany, I'm surprised at ya'! Ya always put up an 'ight! I'd never thought I'd the day ya bac' down fer anything! Doll face, come'on!"_ He would slur at her at this moment if he saw Rangiku in a bar bathroom, crying her eyes out.

Rangiku felt ashamed of herself when Gin's voice rushed into her mind. Gin always praised her for being a confident, strong woman and now, she's falling to pieces.

Rangiku reached her hands up and grabbed the sink ledge to pull herself up. After finding her balance, she took a look at herself in the dirty scratched mirror in the bathroom. Through the lines of words drawn in markers and dirty that piled on the mirror, the blonde waitress saw a broken down Rangiku with bags starting to form under her blue eyes and lines appearing around her mouth. Rangiku wasn't as vain as people perceive her to be but she could feel her pride being tore down as her appearance started to show her stress. Rangiku pulled out the tiny makeup containers she hid in her brassiere and began to applying to her face. The blonde tried to hide every inch of despair away from her face and blended into her skin.

After wiping away any expression of pain from her pale face, Rangiku took another look in the mirror. A sad smile came onto her face.

"_Screw Aizen, let go tonight." _She whispered to herself but could hear Gin speaking it into her ear. Rangiku readjusted her dress, showing a little more cleavage and a genuine grin was starting to emerge through the darkness. Rangiku flicked off the bathroom lights and pushed the wooden door to reenter Flower Heaven.

* * *

Starrk sat at the bar with Jack Daniels in his hand, secreting wishing for some J.P. Chenet. The whiskey burned down his throat and reminded him of all the pain going on in the tavern. Starrk could see older gentlemen crying into their beer glasses, couples giving each other cold glares over a bottle of champagne, men in their suits with the ties loosened up sat slumped in the booths, women telling their troubles of the day to their girlfriends while pouring down shots of tequila. And then he saw Rangiku surface out of the bathroom.

The woman was a contradiction like no other. Rangiku was an open book but an enigma to many. She flirted and batted those baby blue eyes at the men that caught her interest but Starrk had the feeling those men never got past the bedroom door. She was the quite beauty but her voice spoke loud.

Starrk let out of huff that was built on confusion. The altercation earlier with Aizen and the fearful look in Rangiku's eyes puzzled him but also sparked something in him. He could tell if it was anger brewing inside of him, since he hated men that abuse their strength over women. But along side with the growing anger, Starrk, not wishing to confess to it, wanted to reach for pen and paper after Aizen left the bar.

"Hello there, Starrk," A hoarse voice boomed in Starrk's ear drums. He turned to the owner of the voice, seeing a soft smile and brown curly locks tied firmly together. "You look like you use some company, old friend."

"That would be must appreciated, Shunsui." Starrk said, making Shunsui smile grow. The bar owner had in his hand a full bottle of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey and filled Starrk's half full glass as well as pouring himself some as well.

"I _do_ love my red wine, as you know. But the burn of the whiskey brings back nostalgia of sneaking into my fathers bar with you and Ukitake." Shunsui said after taking a large gulp of the brown liquid. Starrk smiled at the memories of himself with the playful duo always trying to get their hands of any alcoholic beverage within reach.

"Speaking of friends, where is Ukitake?" Starrk asked, noticing the disappearance of white hair and loud coughing in the bar.

"Aw, poor Ukitake started to cough blood and I order him to go home and call his nurse," Shunsui stopped himself as a look of remembrance came across his brown face, "My, my, you should see the pretty little nurse of his! I believer her name is Orihime. She's almost perfect, well not _as_ perfect as my lovely Nanao-chan, but a bit young and already married to Ukitake's doctor, Ichigo." Shunsui expressed with a pout as the memory of seeing the silver wedding band on the nurse's hand brought him sadness for his friend.

"Is it safe to say that Ukitake didn't try to pathetically flirt with her or notice how good-looking she probably is?" Starrk said without a second thought. Both he and Shunsui knew of Ukitake's sad past with the ghastly emotion called love. When the man had his heart set on a woman, he would give up too soon and let her go. Or when a lady was interested in him, Ukitake was too oblivious to notice. Which blew Shunsui and Starrk's mind because anyone would be luckily as can be if they had their hands on Ukitake.

"Oh, he notice her attractiveness but I guess he told himself that he didn't stand a chance," Shunsui sighed with melancholy in his voice, taking back another shot of Jack, "I can't help but think that the man might never find a precious lady. He might just end up lonely"

_Loneliness_. An emotion, a solitary emotion Starrk knew all too well. Before Shunsui, Ukitake and Nanao entered his life, loneliness was his only companion. (Besides sleep of course.)

"Maybe some people are destined to be lonely." The author, finishing up his Tennessee whiskey. He set his glass down, pushing it away from him and setting his head down of the polish bar counter top wood.

Shunsui looked over at Starrk. He noticed the small glimmer of despair fill those grey metal eyes of Starrk's. He let out a sigh and placed a hand over wavy dark brown locks.

"Please don't tell me that you still think that way about yourself, Starrk." He said. Starrk angled his head and looked up at Shunsui with a tiny smile.

"Not as much as I use to." He said into his navy blue coat. "The solitude hasn't shown its ugly head for a while now, Shunsui, there's nothing to worry about." Shunsui looked down at Starrk and felt his heart twitched with the familiar feeling of sympathy for his friend.

By the corner of his whiskey stained grey eyes, Shunsui saw flares of bright blonde hair and he could heard the seductive laughter of Rangiku coming towards the two men.

"Ya know, loneliness is one thing," Shunsui said, pulling Starrk up by the collar into a sitting position "but your love life is whole different story, Starrky." The bar owner said with a wink as he seemed to disappear into the shadowy lights of the tavern. Starrk stared at the empty spot next to him, pondering Shunsui's exiting words. _"What does my love life, or lack there of, have to do with anything?"_ He thought to himself.

"He left pretty quick, didn't he?" A gentle but very sultry feminine voice entered Starrk's mind and a gentle hand placed itself over his shoulder. He tore his gaze from the empty seat beside him up to the face of Rangiku. The blonde had a playful smirking dancing on her face and a flirtatious gleam in her eyes that made Starrk's throat go dry.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Rangiku questioned. Starrk tried to find some confidence buried in him and smiled back at the waitress.

"I would love that, Matsumoto-san, but I wouldn't want to take you away from your job." He said, examining the bar and viewing the various people enjoying their drinks. Rangiku scoffed and took the empty seat next to him.

"Ah, ignore them. Shunsui and Nanao can tend to them" She said, dropping her heels to the ground and relaxing her exhausted feet.

There was always seemed to be tension between the two but due to the small exchange with Aizen, a light essence of awkward feelings floating above them.

"I'm sorry about earlier, with Aizen. He can be a bit _overprotective_ in situations and-"Rangiku started but Starrk halted with a hand over his. He looked at her, dead on. Rangiku feeling the pressure of his grey eyes weighing her down.

"Its fine, I completely forgot about it," _Lie _"And it's none of my business anyway." He said, seeming as he if couldn't care but the remembrance of Rangiku's pained face when the Aizen fellow grabbed her arms was burned in Starrk's memory.

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered a stick to the blonde. Rangiku gladly accepted and took her time taking the cigarette, carefully sliding her fingers over the rough, course skin of Starrk. She leaned in close to Starrk as he light her stick; he inclined in close enough just to catch a smell of the strawberry shampoo scent lingering in her hair.

Smoke escaped both of their mouths as Kaien gave the two fresh new glasses of sake.

"So if you don't mind me asking, Matsumoto-san," He asked, a cigarette hanging off his tanned lips that made Rangiku's toes curl at the sight of it. "What is this Aizen guy to you?"

"I thought it was none of your business, Starrk-san." She said with playful flirtation at the end of her tongue.

"It isn't but there's nothing wrong with a little curiosity." Starrk said, letting smoke out of his mouth into the bar air. He looked over at the waitress beside him, running a hand through his messy brunette locks.

Rangiku carefully watched his rough hand slide through his hair. He looked like her rolled out of bed and slap on the closest clothes to him. Starrk didn't seem to care for his appearance or how others perceived him. She noticed that look of disgust on Aizen's face when he studied the writers look. Aizen believed in always taking care of yourself, no matter where you went or how you felt that day. Aizen must have been taken back by how Starrk didn't care and how great he still looked with that atmosphere of laziness.

The blonde thought that was one of the main reasons she was so attracted to the writer. He was sexy without trying. He was so damn charming without trying. And the complete opposite of Aizen.

"He's no one you have to worry about, Starrk-san." She said with that famous little smirk that got Starrk's blood boiling. He hide his smile as he took a sip of sake.

"_Good, I don't like competition."_ He said underneath his breath, barely audible.


End file.
